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A review by zoes_human
The Man Who Watched The World End by Chris Dietzel
1.0
This narrative has a powerhouse premise – a unique and intriguing concept of how life as we know it could end which raises fascinating philosophical questions about what precisely constitutes a life. It is written well and has something to say about the meaning and value of family.
Unfortunately, it falls apart beyond that in three significant ways.
First, it goes nowhere. Whether it manifests in the form of a quest or as character evolution, there should be some significant change by the end of a narrative. In some cases, an author may compensate for the lack of an arc by taking an intensely philosophical approach; however, while this one brings up interesting metaphysical topics, they are never fully developed.
Second, there is a limit to how often I can suspend my disbelief with a single book. The “Survival Bill” lacks plausibility both in the human behavior required to execute it and the pragmatic likelihood of the existence and lengthy continual unmaintained function of the incinerators, processors, and generators. The depictions of animal behaviors, specifically bears and cats, are well outside current norms or conceivable changes in those creatures even in response to the situation described. I spent more time scrunching my eyebrows in doubt and disbelief than is conducive to literary pleasure.
Last is the elephant in the scenario – the universal avoidance by all characters of recognizing and attempting to cope with the inevitability of the world being left with only blocks who would then die of dehydration. Try to not die first isn’t a plan.
This writer has tremendous creativity, but failed to be mindful of the practical aspects which can, and in this case did, drag a book down.
Unfortunately, it falls apart beyond that in three significant ways.
First, it goes nowhere. Whether it manifests in the form of a quest or as character evolution, there should be some significant change by the end of a narrative. In some cases, an author may compensate for the lack of an arc by taking an intensely philosophical approach; however, while this one brings up interesting metaphysical topics, they are never fully developed.
Second, there is a limit to how often I can suspend my disbelief with a single book. The “Survival Bill” lacks plausibility both in the human behavior required to execute it and the pragmatic likelihood of the existence and lengthy continual unmaintained function of the incinerators, processors, and generators. The depictions of animal behaviors, specifically bears and cats, are well outside current norms or conceivable changes in those creatures even in response to the situation described. I spent more time scrunching my eyebrows in doubt and disbelief than is conducive to literary pleasure.
Last is the elephant in the scenario – the universal avoidance by all characters of recognizing and attempting to cope with the inevitability of the world being left with only blocks who would then die of dehydration. Try to not die first isn’t a plan.
This writer has tremendous creativity, but failed to be mindful of the practical aspects which can, and in this case did, drag a book down.